New Measures implemented for Taroko National Park Entry Permits
Foreign Visitors may apply up to 4 months ahead
Zhuilu Old Road: Starting 01 September 2019, foreign visitors are able to submit applications 35 days - 4 months before date of entry via the “Online Application for Taiwan National Park Permits” website. We hope that the new measures will allow more foreign visitors to experience the exquisite scenery within Taroko Gorge. Please contact our Recreation and Services Section (Tel：+886-3-8621576 or +886-3-8621100 ext. 605; Office Hours: Mon – Fri 08:30 – 12:30; 13:30 – 17:30) or review the following details if you wish to apply through this method:
A: Application window: 35 days to 4 months prior to the date of intended entry (date of intended entry restricted to between Monday – Thursday)
B: Application Website: Through the English version of the “Online Application for Taiwan National Park Permits” website (link at end of announcement).
C: Restrictions: Applicants can submit one application (maximum 12 persons per application) for Zhuilu Old Road per date of intended entry. An applicant can be a team member or a team leader only once per day (e.g. one cannot be a member of a team and the leader of another team on the same day.) All team members must possess foreign nationality; please upload the photo page of your valid passport or a resident ID Card as proof.
D: Once an application has been approved, the date of entry and the names of all team members (including the leader, team members, and the emergency coordinator) cannot be altered, and additional team members cannot be added to the same application. Cancellation (for an individual or for the entire party, excluding the team leader) can be accepted. Separate applications should be submitted if additional members wish to hike on the same date of intended entry.
E: Standby Measure: There will be no standby measures (i.e. waitlist) for foreign visitor applications to Zhuilu Old Road. All applicants regardless of nationality are welcome to apply through the standard application window (1 – 30 days before date of intended entry) if the quota for foreign visitors has already been reached.
Increase in Daily Quotas for Qilai South Peak
The trail to Qilai South Peak follows the Nenggao Historic Trail, starting and ending at the Tunyuan trail entrance. Hikers often hike Qilai South Peak alongside Mt. Nanhua, with the combined hike colloquially referred to as “Qilai-Nanhua”. Hikers often trek to both Mt. Qilai South Peak and Mt. Nanhua from Tianchi Cabin (maintained by Forestry Bureau), which provides lodging and campsites. Please note that Qilai South Peak is located within the Ecological Protection Area of the Taroko National Park, and access is subject to a Park Entry Permit that follows a quota dictated by the carrying capacity of the surrounding environment. The quota stipulates a maximum of 88 persons per day on weekdays (226 persons on Fridays, weekends and public holidays). The quota now matches the combined lodging and camping capacity of Tianchi Cabin.
Application Window Deadline Shifted for Mountaineering Routes within the Ecological Protection Area
In order to improve the considerations of standby applications and to allow for the review of late applications, the application deadline for all mountaineering routes within the Ecological Protection Area within Taroko National Park have been shifted ahead to 3 pm (originally 23:00) on the final day of the application window. Specifically, the application window for routes is as follows:
A: Qilai (Main/North Peaks, Range from North to South Peak, South Peak, East Ridge); Nanhu (out-and-back to Nanhu Cabin, North Section 1); North Section 1 (Mts. Nanhu and Zhongyangjian), North Section 2 (Y-route, Mt. Shuan/Mt. Lingming, Mt. Shuan Day Ascent); North Sections 1 and 2 traverse; Bilu-Yangtou Traverse; Mt. Qingshui; Other non-traditional routes. Application window open 7-30 days before date of intended entry (closing at 3 pm, 7 days before the date of intended entry).
B: Mt. Bilu Day Ascent, Mt. Yangtou Day Ascent: Application window open 3-30 days before entry (closing at 3 pm, 3 days before the date of intended entry).
C: Zhuilu Old Road Day Ascent (out-and-back to 3.1K): Application window open 1-30 days before entry (closing at 3 pm, 1 day before the date of intended entry).
D: Zhuilu Old Road Day Ascent (out-and-back to 3.1K) for Foreign Visitors: Application window open 4 months to 35 days before date of intended entry; weekdays only (Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays). The application window closes at 3 pm, 35 days before the date of intended entry.
Flexible Quotas Implemented for Zhuilu Old Road: All Applications Considered For Entirety of Team Members
After consideration of opinions regarding the waitlist policy of Zhuilu Old Road, application policies will be revised starting on 1 October 2019. Hikers applying to Zhuilu Old Road should pay special attention to the following changes:
A: A flexible increase in daily quotas according to the last team that submitted their application before the quota has been reached.
B: A maximum of 10 teams on standby (waitlist) to hike Zhuilu Old Road per day. When the daily quota for Zhuilu Old Road has been reached, the system will automatically register applications on standby (waitlist).
C: If an already-approved party within the daily quota cancels their application for that day and the number of freed places is equal or more than the number of people in the first team on the standby list, the system will automatically move the first team on the waitlist for that specific day to within the quota (the entire party member will be approved by the park if there are no violation records.). If after the first team is moved to within the quota and the remaining freed places is still more than the number of people in the next (second) team on the standby list for that specific day, the system will automatically consider this standby party, and follow suit for successive parties according to their application submission time. The system will pause the above standby measures when the number of people on the next standby team is equal to or more than the remaining freed places within the quota for the specified day.
D: If the total number of persons admitted to Zhuilu Old Road exceeds the daily quota, the standby measures detailed above in (C) will be suspended until the number of persons admitted to Zhuilu Old Road is less than the daily quota (i.e. if persons/teams already within the daily quota cancel their applications to reduce the total number of admitted persons).
E: The standby application window for Zhuilu Old Road ends at 3 pm the working day before the date of intended entry (i.e. 3 pm the day before consecutive public holidays).
Online Application for Taiwan National Park Permits”
LINK: https://npm.cpami.gov.tw/en/